Prepaid Cellular
Service And Cellular
Phones Sales Are ICE's
Objective For 2009
The Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE), in
preparation for the
opening of the
telecommunication sector
in Costa Rica is
venturing into cellular
telephone sales, in
addition to providing
cellular network
service.
Orlando Cascante, head
of mobile services for
ICE, confirmed that in
July, ICE will be
selling BlackBerry
cellular phones.
Cascante said that the
initial plan is to offer
1.500 units mainly to
executives and if the
results prove positive,
will increase sales to
the general public.
The move by the state
institution is in
preparation for the
introduction of the 3G
cellular service next
year and to face
competition that is
expected to arrive soon
in the country.
Pedro Pablo Quirós,
president of ICE, added
that come in 2009, ICE
will be offering package
deals that include
cellular service and
equipment, similar to
deals available in most
other countries.
According to Quirós, in
addition to ICE selling
or offering telephone
units in a package, is
to provide customers the
ability to purchase
minutes on a prepaid
basis.
Prepaid cellular service
would allow anyone,
including non-residents,
the ability to purchase
a prepaid SIM chip to be
installed in their
unlocked phones and use
in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica currently
only allows nationals
and residents to be able
to subscribe to cellular
service.
The prepaid service and
package deals are
expected to be offered
once the new 3G network
is in place by mid 2009.
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